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The sun begins to peek over the horizon as five blue drakes fly to the north. Jhoira holds onto the thick mane of her spectacular drake as her hair is whipped through by the wind. One of the other drakes flies up to her and she sees Darkmen on its back.
"So how do you like flying?" he calls out to her.
"It feels great." She exclaims hunched over trying not to look down.
Darkmen laughs and then speeds up to Glacian his cloak floating softly behind him. Darkmen reaches Glacian and sees a faint smile on his face.
"So who are we meeting in Shiv?" Darkmen asks.
"Well you might have heard of him before in your classes, but we are going to get help from Alexi." Glacian says solemnly.
"Isn't he only a legend?" Darkmen questions.
"No, but it seems so to others who never met him."
Shiv appears in the distance, huge mountains and volcanoes taking up most of the land. One of the volcanoes shook violently tumbling rocks to the rocky floor.
"Everyone listen, Alexi has very powerful defenses so watch out for anything and also watch out for those volcanoes they may erupt at any time." Glacian yells to the group.
The drakes glided through the towering mountains only turning to miss one of them. One of the mountains rumbled and rocks began to fall toward the group. The rocks tumbled pass the drakes nearly hitting them.
After a few minutes an explosion rocks the land sending another shower of rocks down. One of the bigger boulders smashes into Dakkon's drake knocking it from the air. It began to plummet toward the rocky floor.
"I'll get him." Tiny Tim says and makes his drake dive to the falling bodies.
Tiny Tim's drake uses one of its claws and grabs onto a piece of Dakkon's cloak. Dakkon opens his eyes and then sighs as he sees he is still alive.
Hanging by his cloak Dakkon slowly spins around being pushed by the turbulence. He sees Nick sitting in his cage staring at him with his crimson eyes.
"Did you enjoy the fall?" he says and then starts to cackle.
Dakkon tries to grab at him but all he can do it hang by the drake talons.
"I can do much worse than that." Says Nick.
"You mean you're the one who caused that rockslide." Dakkon questions.
"Yes I did, just because the bars cannot be broken doesn't mean that I can't effect things outside of it. You are lucky you have those magic ward charms to keep you from getting effected by my spells directly." Nick reveals.
"I'll kill you!" Dakkon yells and pulls out a dagger from inside of his robe.
He swings the dagger around trying to hit him but he was to far away. He aims and is about to throw it when he sees the blade is starting to bend back toward him. He drops the dagger and watches as it falls thousands of feet to the hard rock below.
"Just enjoy the ride." Nick says and then closes his eyes.
"Hey what is that down there?" Jhoria yells to Glacian.
"That would be a desert twister." Glacian replies back to her.
The tornado rises from the floor of molten ground and begins to rise toward the flying drakes.
"That's weird." Glacian says.
"What's weird." Darkmen says.
"Well, desert twisters never leave the floor they mover around until they grow so small they simply disappear."
"There's something coming out of it." Tiny Tim says.
Out of the desert tornado a form begins to take shape. The form flies out of the whirling dirt and flies up speeding toward the group.
"That looks like a dragon but it is all bone." Dakkon says finally able to climb onto the back of Tiny Tim's Drake.
Nick starts to cackle again and then yells up to the group "the phyrexians will always prevail, soon you coalition will all die!"
The beast breathes flaming lava at the cluster of drakes trying to destroy every one of them. The lava lances out and carves deep gouges into the mountainside. The drakes come to a fork and the group takes different routes to escape the dragon.
Darkmen and Glacian choose the right side and dodge as rocks begin to fall around them. Their drakes cutting through the wind like butter.
The bone dragon cuts through the mountain and explodes through a mile behind them. It's bone wings spanned across 30 feet. It breathed one big lava ball at the two and then slows to watch if it would hit its prey.
"Is the dragon still following us?" Tiny Tim calls out to Jhoria who is in the rear.
"No we lost it back at the fork." Jhoria calls back.
"Then it must be after the others!" Dakkon exclaims.
"We can't, there is no way to get to them other than the way we came." Tiny Tim explains.
"Why can't we go back the way we came?" Jhoria asks.
"Orders from Glacian." Tiny Tim says plainly.
"What do you mean Glacian's Orders!" Dakkon yells at him.
"He told me to take you onto Alexi and he gave me directions to him" Tiny Tim says staring forward.
"My boyfriend is out there, you are not stopping me from going after them." Jhoria says and the turns her drake around and speeds off in the other direction.
"Wait up, I'm coming with you." Dakkon says and then calls for a specter and jumps onto its back.
"Kids these days." Tiny Tim says calmly and chases after the two.
The ball of lava flies to the right of Darkmen and strikes the mountains face creating a cave through the mountain. The duo flies into the cave dodging around the dripping lava. They reach the end of the tunnel and fly out. They turn right, go around to the fork, and then follow the path where they last saw the others.
"They must have gone to Alexi's cave." Glacian says calmly.
They fly to the left and go straight until they come to a dead end.
"Are you sure this is the way to Alexi?" Darkmen asks.
"I'm very sure." He says and he makes his drake dive into the wall.
"NO!" Darkmen yells as he sees Glacian hit the wall or would have if he hadn't of gone through it.
"What the�" Darkmen begins until he sees Glacian appear through the wall.
"Come on." Glacian insists.
Darkmen flies down cautiously and enters the mountain where he had last seen Glacian. He passed through the mountain face and found himself in an aviary. He sees drakes and aesthers hitched to posts, some being fed by young men in teal and red robes. His drake lands at one of the posts and lets Darkmen off. Darkmen lands onto the stone floor and then pats the drake's neck. He turns to Glacian and smiles.
"You had me worried there for a moment." Darkmen says.
"So where are we right now?" Darkmen asks curiously.
"This is the ancient aviary of Belhaam, two floors up is the training area and the floor above that are the studies, classrooms, and student and teacher quarters." Glacian explains.
"Training area, I thought this place was secret." Darkmen quizzed.
"It is, but every now and then we get a few students with tremendous power so we send them here to get trained properly." Glacian replies.
Together they walk out of the aviary and up a flight of stairs. After they climb the stairs they walk down a long hall until they reach a person sitting at a wooden table.
The person looks up and says, "Hello, welcome to Belhaam you must be Glacian," he says then gets up and shakes Glacian's hands "but I was told you were coming with more people."
Glacian and Darkmen look at each other then look back at the man.
"You mean no one else has shown up today." Darkmen says.
"That's correct," the man says "the last person to arrive was Crovax and that was a couple days ago."
"They must be still out there with that bone dragon!" Darkmen exclaims toward Glacian.
"I will go get them, you stay here." Glacian says.
"There is no way in�" Darkmen cuts off as he falls to the ground asleep.
"I knew that spell would come in handy some day," Glacian says and then turns to the man "take him to a room the spell will ware off in a couple hours."
He then rushes off toward the aviary.
"They could be anywhere." Jhoria says turning her head left and right searching for any indication where the others could be.
"Keep searching they may be around here." Dakkon says sitting on his jet black specter.
"Did you hear something?" Jhoria asks.
"You're hearing things Jhoria." Tiny Tim says.
A loud rumble resounds through the narrow mountain passages.
"That has to be them." Jhoria says then speeds off in the direction of the sound.
"Jhoria!" Dakkon and Tiny Tim yell at the same time.
"Girls." Dakkon says and then follows her followed by Tiny Tim.
They are about to turn the corner when they see Jhoria racing off in the other direction.
"What the.." Dakkon begins to say until he sees the oncoming figure.
"RUN!" Tiny Tim yells and turns sharply to the left.
Behind Tiny Tim and Dakkon the bone dragon explodes from the mountain showering rocks all over the floor of the canyon. The dragon flies quickly and rapidly fires lava balls at the three mages.
One lava ball flies five feet above Dakkon's head and singes his hair. Another flies under Tiny Tim's drake. Tiny Tim's drake dives low and begins a fall to the canyon floor.
Dakkon drives his specter low and flies after Tiny Tim. He reaches the falling drake and sees that it no longer had an under belly. Blood sprays from the wound and splashes in Dakkon's face.
"Tiny Tim jump!" Dakkon yells all the while dodging stray lava balls.
The drake slowly spins in its final descent. Tiny Tim unhooks the straps on his legs and then floats away from the falling drake. Dakkon moves his drake to the left and Tiny Tim falls in behind Dakkon.
"Debt repaid in full." Dakkon says and then pulls his specter up toward the fast moving Jhoria.
The dragon stares at the specter and then aims his steaming lava at it. It speeds up and fires ten lava rocks at the moving target.
"Incoming!" Tiny Tim says looking back at the dragon.
The specter moves left and right dodging the rocks narrowly avoiding death. A roar shakes the canyon knocking boulders loose making them falling projectiles. The boulders fall to the ground harmlessly and Tiny Tim leans forward tired from deflecting the rocks.
Tired of playing with its prey the dragon fires a steady stream of lava, which could not be dodged.
The specter sensing danger speeds up until it could go no faster. The stream of lava is about to engulf the specter when it is deflected into the wall of a mountain.
"Did you do that Tiny Tim?" Dakkon questions.
"Wasn't me." He says weakly.
A drake appears from a side passage and slams into the dragon knocking it into the wall. The dazed dragon looks and sees that it is one of the preys he had lost earlier. Its black eyes glow a deep red and then it roars deafening all other sound. It turns and then flies toward the small drake. It breathes a giant ball of lava and it engulfs the drake but the rider floats away from it before it could reach him. His eyes glow a bright blue flashing every few seconds.
"You will not see another day you demon from hell." Glacian yells and flies toward the giant dragon.
Glacian begins a spell and a ball of blue fire begins to form from his hands. At the same moment the dragon was drawing in a huge amount of air getting ready for its next attack. Glacian fires his ball of flame hoping to hit the dragon before it shot off its attack. At the same time the dragon fires a black ball of flame weakening the dragons defense.
The balls of flame fly toward each other and hit between Glacian and the bone dragon. When the flames meet it causes a chain reaction and creates a huge explosion. Glacian smiles as he disappears second before waves of flame wash over where he once was. The dragon tries to escape but soon he is engulfed by the inferno. The flames rush down the passageways destroying everything it touches living and non-living alike.
Dakkon and Jhoria dive to the valley floor and fly into an underground tunnel racing away from the oncoming flame. As they pass through the entrance it starts to crumble until it is fully closed. Jhoria casts an orb of light, which lights the pitch black cave. They land and walk around the cave searching for an exit and instead they find old machinery.
"This dates back to the brothers war!" Dakkon exclaims.
Huge ornithopters tower over the trio, next to them a giant dragon engine stands devoid of life.
"Maybe one of these things can get us out of here." Jhoria says.
"You've got to be kidding, these things are thousands of years old, if you even touch one it will fall apart." Tiny Tim says.
To prove his point he goes over to one of the three ornithopters and kicks it, but instead of falling apart it stays solid and Tiny Tim stubs his toe. Cursing under his breath he hops back on one foot to the others.
"Looks pretty sturdy to me." He says and then howls with laughter.
Dakkon climbs up the ladder to the dragon engine and then climbs inside. He grabs the powerstone next to the console and plugs it into the slot. Gears begin and the artifact begins to slowly move forward shaking dust from its resting place. It begins to pick up speed and soon it is running.
"Move out of the way!" Dakkon yells through the opening.
The dragon engine comes to a stop 20 feet away from the cave in and he pulls a switch fires long streams of plasma at the doorway. The plasma eats through the scalding rock and flies out the other side.
"And were out." Dakkon says and then hops out of the engine and runs to his specter.
"Nice work." Tiny Tim says wincing in pain as he hops in behind Dakkon.
The specter takes a running start and flies out of the cave followed by Jhoria on her drake. They exit the cave and find a wasteland. Towering mountains are reduced to rubble and volcanoes have become smoldering pits.
"This place is a disaster." Jhoria says looking at her surroundings.
They fly on until they see a cluster of mountains at the far edge of the explosion.
"Well we are here," Tiny Tim begins "Dakkon see that discolored part of the mountain, fly into it."
"Are you nuts?" Jhoria says.
"Its an illusion, you fly into it you will enter the aviary." Tiny Tim explains.
Dakkon guides his specter into the illusion. Charred bodies meet them on the other side. "They must have not got the shield up in time." Tiny Tim says sadly.
They land near a closed steel door and try to budge it but it is welded shut.
"Let me try something." Jhoria says and then begins to cast her spell.
A small plant begins to grow from beneath the door and spreads on either side of it. The door begins to groan as the plant begins to grow upwards against the door. Small cracks begin to cover the door and soon in breaks into big chunks until there is nothing left. Jhoria calls back her plant and soon it disappears completely.
The trio enters the doorway to find the hallway intact.
"Maybe some of them survived." Dakkon says and then jogs down the hall.
They come upon a man sitting at a desk.
"You must be the others, we were afraid you didn't survive the explosion and where is Glacian?" the man asks curiously.
"He is dead." Tiny Tim says.
"A pity, but we must continue with the plans." The man says.
"What about Darkmen and what happen to Nick?" Jhoria asks.
"Darkmen is waiting for you in Alexi's chambers and Nick is in a cell." He replies.
The man walks down the hallway and turns a corner. The trio looks at each other and follows him. They pass large statues of warriors made of bronze.
"When will we get there?" Jhoria asks.
"We will be there soon." The man replies.
They turn a corner and two metal doors block their entrance. The young man grabs the door handles and pulls them open.
"You are on your own, I go no farther." The man says and then disappears in a puff of smoke.
"Weird guy." Dakkon says and then walks into the corridor.
At the end of hall an open doorway leads into a lit room. They walk in and see a young man in a dark blue robe.
"You must be Alexi." Jhoria says.
The man laughs and then looks at Jhoria "no, my name is Keilic, I'm Alexi's apprentice."
An older man walks into the room followed by Darkmen. The older man smiles and then walks to the group.
"Hi, I'm Alexi you've already met Keilic," Alexi says, "come into my office and we will talk."
The group walks out of the small study and into a giant room with maps and plans scattered about. Crovax stands near one staring at it intently. The walk over to him and they see he is pointing at Keld.
"The Phyrexians control Keld," he explains "we, we meaning all of the coalition will attack Keld with all we have, hopefully taking it and cutting off the entrance to phyrexia."
"But what if we can't" Jhoria asks.
"Well kiss your ass goodbye because if we don't take it Dominaria will be destroyed by the phyrexians." Alexi says.
The trio gasps but quickly replaces it with a look of determination.
"What can we do?" Dakkon asks.
"We plan to attack the base three days from now, we could use all the mages we can get." Crovax says.
"Were in, but we have to rescue someone from their captivity first." Darkmen says.
"Who would that be?" Alexi says.
"Urdrag, he is one of our friends." Darkmen says.
"I will take a few people with me to infiltrate the base and rescue him when we arrive in Keld." Crovax says.
The door slams open and Keilic rushes in with a worried look on his face.
"Phyrexians have arrived in the aviary they are coming this way!" Keilic yells.
"Get as many people out as you can and meet us at the secret exit. Crovax gather up what you can of the maps, we don't want the phyrexians to know what we are planning. You others go down the hall and take a right there will be a torch on the wall, pull it down and a door will open, inside will be some aesthirs take those and we will meet with Valdner in Keld, now go!" Alexi shouts.
Everyone runs out the door except for Crovax and Alexi. The group of four runs downs the hall and pulls the torch. The door begins to open as ten other students and Keilic run around the corner.
"Hurry up and get to an aesthir quickly." Darkmen says.
The students rush into the tunnel until only Darkmen and Tiny Tim remains.
"Go on, I'll wait for the others." Darkmen says
"I will wait with you, you may need back up if any phyrexians decide to show up." Tiny Tim replies.
The two wait and four more students arrive. Another student runs around the corner with a tide of phyrexians behind him. Darkmen thinks of his homeland and skeletons appear, ready to fight.
The Phyrexians engulf the screaming boy and soon his screams stop. Skeletons and Phyrexians clash as they meet in the center of the passage battling it out to see who survives.
"There is no one else let's go." Tiny Tim says and then leaves.
Darkmen looks down the blasted hallway and then follows him into the exit. An explosion comes from within the phyrexian lines throwing the skeletons to all corners of the hallway. One of the skeleton flies back and breaks the torch from the wall making the secret door start to slowly close.
Nick appears at the front of the line and searches for any trace of the group. He turns and sees the passage closing. He runs toward collapsing passage, jumping the last of the distance, but the door closes before he reaches it making him fly into the wall. |